Character Questioned

For those of you who attended the recent City Council election in Ocean City, you may have noticed an increasingly large number of absentee ballot votes added to Ms. Pillas and Mr. Ashley’s already surprisingly astounding numbers of votes. The number of absentee ballot votes rose from third place, at 29 to 41, and 45, bringing Ashley and Pillas into the lead at second and third place for the council.

Looking around the room, hardly anyone’s eyebrows raised at this, maybe because people aren’t surprised at voter influence anymore. Let’s consider an article from the U.S. Government’s Accountability Office, or GAO, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-6. The article reviews the elderly’s God-given right to vote, but explores the prospect of their vulnerability due to disability, immobility, or confinement to long-term care facilities, and offers an exceptional solution to the problem; playing fair. Now there’s an idea.

According to this article, it is apparent that most states have in place requirements or guidance by laws to facilitate absentee voting and to also “provide training in oversight” of said voting. Nearly “one-half of the states reported providing training to local election officials specifically on state requirements” and “ additionally, 17 states reported that they conducted one or more oversight activities to ensure that localities were adhering to state voting requirements.” According to these researchers, the state’s requirements for voting ultimately helped protect against “voter fraud and undue influence.”

It seems to me that Maryland, unfortunately, was not one of these states. How is it just that an elected official and a running candidate breach a code of morality – If not an instated law, to gain more votes? Is that not a form of cheating? How can we expect to trust two now elected officials on our city’s own City Council who have cheated their way to the top? This act may not be illegal – yet, but it most certainly does not demonstrate qualities I would wish to see in a representative of our city. I hope come November, the people of Ocean City will be more careful of their judgment of character.

I have followed Ocean City municipal politics for over 30 years. I worked in the last election to try to help Doug Cymek get a seat on the council. Only then did I really learn who the real Joe Mitrecic was. Before that, I had even called for him to step down as council president. I thought he was a pawn of the others who I need not mention. I also thought he was arrogant but I was wrong.

Joe was just trying to be a leader and that requires a "take charge attitude". Through my many conversations with Cymek and prior knowledge, people have no idea how consuming the work of government can be. You have thousands of bosses who will behead you if you side against them on even just one of their issues. Joe was honest and never used his office for personal gain.

If you asked Joe about an issue, he would listen to you but if he disagreed you would be told flat out and why. Either Joe didn’t know to or wouldn’t double-talk you with a bunch of bull. You’ve got to respect that. Everybody who emailed him about an issue would get a respectful and lengthy, if necessary, response to your input. Joe worked hard for us and did the best job he could. He had my vote this election. Thanks for your hard work.

Rob Greenebaum
Ocean City
Bikers Disrupt Church
Editor:

The bikers are generally well behaved and their clubs do charitable work. However, the noise on Philadelphia Avenue on Sunday was disturbing to church services.

I suggest that the city and Harley Davidson get together and put up signs for a low noise zone at the churches. It is especially bad at 17th Street where there is a stoplight.

I believe that the bikers would cooperate and help us hear what is going on in church.
Rich Jendrek
Berlin
Progressives To Blame
Editor:

When someone suggests that all our problems can be solved by voting for Democrat candidates at all levels of government because Democrats are for the people and Republicans are for big business, it makes one wonder if this belief isn’t the result of buying into President Obama’s doublespeak approach to our situation.

The current administration takes no responsibility for the mess we’re in. According to them, the wars were inherited, the current economic climate was caused by reckless Republicans who won’t do anything to help, and bad rich guys, racists and haters are everywhere, fueled by evil talk show hosts and Fox News. Every system is in crisis — healthcare, employment, education, banking, immigration, environment and more. The only thing that can save us is more government regulation and control. Everything must be addressed immediately. We don’t have time to read the bills. Just let the government do what it must. It’ll work out fine. There are never unintended consequences and no one’s really trying to collapse the system. Or are they?

Responsibility for this condition can be shared by both of the major political parties for allowing Progressives to slowly and incrementally gain power as pseudo-Democrats and to a lesser extent, pseudo-Republicans. These elitist individuals and groups think they are meant to rule due to their superior intellect and abilities. They have been working for years to change our government into something quite different from its origins. They don’t think ordinary people should have the freedom to determine their own destiny. They know what’s best for the masses, and how to nudge them into the proper behavior or action. These little people require structure, regulation and Big Brother to run their second-class lives. In exchange for accepting this brotherly supervision, the Progressives will give an entitlement to the common folk. Maybe the guarantee of home mortgages they can’t really afford or a healthcare plan the country can’t sustain. This state of affairs has been a long time coming, but every day brings us closer to a time when more than half of the population will be dependent upon the government for the basic necessities of life. With each new entitlement, the government grows bigger.

Numerous unelected czars have been placed in positions of unprecedented power by a President whose basic philosophy was and is inspired by his father’s militant anti-colonialist life and writings. A father who advocated that the state seize private land and turn it over to collective cooperatives and demanded that the state raise taxes with no upper limit. These czars include self-avowed socialists, communists and Marxists who are actively instituting regulations that affect every part of our lives and are changing the fabric of America right under our noses. These wolves in sheep’s clothing count on partisan posturing to keep us bickering among ourselves and ignoring the unconstitutional usurping of Congressional authority. They want bigger government and greater influence and control over each of us.

The Progressives know that when the majority of the country relies on the government for the fulfillment of every need and want, they have won. Then anything is possible for them because those who would oppose them and their dismantling of the representative republic will not have the numbers needed to vote them out. Then watch how well Big Brother treats Americans.

The event was much larger than last year. Many local talents from this community and beyond performed at the festival. Our featured artist this year was Preacher Pap, a well-known gospel singer and minister who was originally from this area and now resides in New Jersey. The committee proudly thanks the following businesses and individuals who helped to make this event a success:

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